Housebroken
by Drucilla460
Summary: Lord Darken Rahl begins training new Mord-Siths. Not all of the girls delivered to him are trainable, however. As Rahl works to find a different purpose for this girl, Richard and Kahlin try to free the girls Rahl plans to turn into his new body guards.
1. The First Lesson

Chapter 1:

Since the disappearance of Denna and the deaths of several of his most valuable Mord-Siths, Lord Darken Rahl had been searching the three territories for new group of young girls to break. The Seeker was getting closer and closer to him with each passing day. Although Rahl had no doubt that the People's Palace could keep the Seeker away, Rahl was not about to be confined to his palace and live in fear for the rest of his life. The more Mord-Siths he was able to create, the more he could fling at the Seeker and his annoying friends.

"Lord Raul," Agramon called from the entrance to Raul's private ceremonial room.

Raul turned to his general, "Yes Agramon?"

"Your troops have sent word. They will be arriving within the week. They have captured eight young girls and their families."

Raul let a slight grin cross his face. Reaching for his floor-length robe, he headed towards Agramon. "We had best get ready for their arrival."

----

The screams and cries of eight young girls flooded the halls as the garrison reached the entrance to the People's Palace. Rahl met them at the gates to allow them to pass through the first of many magical barriers.

The girls were forced to stand side by side in front of Lord Rahl. Each had a look of terror on her face accompanied by the tear stains that had accumulated since they had been captured.

Rahl walked from girl to girl, looking them over, making sure they were the proper age, build and temperament to become a Mord-Sith. As he walked down the line, Rahl noticed something strange about the girl standing at the end. She was not really a girl. More of a young woman. Far too old to be properly broken.

Rahl turned to one of the members of the garrison, "What is this one doing here?"

"She was sold to us my Lord," the man replied, "Her father was killed by the resistance and her mother killed herself soon after. A merchant had been watching her but sold her at the first chance he had. We figured she might be of some use to you." The man finished with a grin.

Rahl turned his gaze back to the young woman for a moment, "You had allowed a stranger into my palace who cannot be tuned into a Mord-Sith. For all we know, she is working for the resistance."

The man stuttered, trying to explain himself, "My… my Lord… I am so sorry…"

Raul smiled and walked towards the man. He glanced quickly at the girls, who where still standing in line with their heads slightly bowed. Their looks of terror had intensified. The man fell to his knees when Rahl reached him. Raul pulled out the long dagger he kept at his waist.

"Ladies, at least the seven of you, this is your first lesson. Orders are to be followed exactly. No exceptions." Rahl plunged the dagger into the throat of the guard. The blood spilled from his neck and onto blade and hilt of the dagger then dripped slowly to the ground in front of Rahl. Agramon handed Rahl a cloth. Rahl took it, pulled the dagger form the man's neck and wiped the blade clean.

"The rest of you, take the girls to their chambers and put their families in the dungeon. As for this one," Rahl walked back to the young woman. Although her face was stained with tears, the look on her face was not one of terror. Rahl knew the tears were forced. He lifted her chin so her eyes met his, "Take her to my chambers. Make sure she is well tied. I don't want her getting loose until I know what we are dealing with."

"Yes my Lord," Agramon said with a slight bow. He then motioned for the garrison to follow him with the girls and their families. Rahl stepped back from the young woman and let her pass with one of the guards. Something about her was intriguing. If her father had been killed by the resistance, maybe she could be of some use to him.

----

"How many girls did they take?" Richard asked.

"From here, four. They already had four others," the old man replied, "please find them. They took my son and his family along with my granddaughter."

Richard looked to Kahlin with uneasy feeling. He could only thing of one reason Rahl would be gathering young girls and their families.

"Richard, we can't save them," Kahlin whispered, "Rahl will have them locked away in his palace. The magic barriers surrounding the palace are stronger than anything Zedd could destroy."

Richard sighned. He knew she was right. Attempting to break into the People's Palace was a suicide mission. Jensen was an option but she had already broken in once. Richard was sure Rahl had increased his level of security around the palace to keep her out.

"We have to do something," Richard replied, "We can't let him kill their families or turn those girls into Mord-Siths.

Zedd sighed heavily, "I'm afraid she's right my boy. There is nothing we can do for them."

"What if," Richard began, staring Blankley into the forest behind Kahlin, "What if we could confess one of his close guards. Maybe we could send them into the palace. Or they could bring me to the palace. As if they had captured me. Once inside, I can free the girls and kill Rahl."

Kahlin and Zedd looked at each other with uncertainty. "It will take more planning if it is going to succeed. And we will need to find a way to get to a guard," Zedd replied softly."

"We have to work quickly," Richard replied, "It may not take long for Rahl and his Mord-Siths to turn the girls into his drones. If they are on his side, then we don't stand a chance."


	2. Painfully Enjoyable

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters…

I forgot to put the disclaimer and the author's note in chapter one. I'm not sure if I'm spelling Agramon correctly. Also, I know that in the book Rahl has blue eyes but they're green in the show, right? Either way, there are few things sexier than a guy with black hair and green eyes so I'm sorry if I really offend anyone who things they ought to be blue.

Also, I know that I spelled Kahlan wrong in the first chapter. I will fix it soon.

-----

Darken Rahl walked slowly though the dungeon where the new girls were kept. Their cries had slowed. They were all exhausted and to terrified to make a sound. Rahl removed his robe and handed it to the nearest guard. "Get me the little one," he ordered.

Agramon motioned to one of the men to get the girl out of her cell. She was only six or seven years old. Her eyes were red from crying. The guard lifted the struggling girl up and another guard helped to bind her hands in the shackles that hung from the ceiling.

Rahl followed the men into the anti-chamber where the training was done. A small table sat at one end of the room. On they table lay seven agiels. One for each of the new girls. Rahl walked over to them and inspected them as he spoke softly to the young girl, "Don't worry my dear. You will thank me for this when we are finished."

With one swift movement, Rahl grabbed one of the agiels and pressed it to the side of the girl. Her screams could be heard throughout the palace. Rahl held it there until the skin around the point of contact turned crimson. He pulled the agiel away from the girl and cringed slightly at the pain the agiel caused in his arm. He was worked with the agiels for so long it felt like not much more than a dull ache.

"What's your name," Rahl asked softly. The girl did not answer. Her mind was clogged with the pain the agiel had caused. Rahl's face grew stern. He pressed the agiel to the girl's outer thigh, "What's your name," he said, almost shouting.

"Annie," the girl cried. Rahl moved the agiel away.

"Ah," he said, the muscles in his face and shoulders relaxing, "much better. Now you know what happens when you are slow to answer me."

Annie looked at the ground as she replied, "Yes my Lord."

'This one will be easier than I had expected,' Rahl thought to himself. "Mistress Constance," Rahl called to a Mord-Sith standing just outside the chamber, "Would you do the honors of finishing this one's lessons? I have some other matters I need to attend to. "

Rahl sighed in relief as he handed the agiel to Mistress Constance. As he walked out of the room, Rahl smiled at the screams coming from the child's mouth as they trickled down the hall and towards the rooms of the other terrified, young girls.

-----

Richard watched as the guard walked along the overgrown path. "It seems as if our reports have reached Rahl," he said to Kahlan and Zedd who crouched near by.

"Rahl is more desperate than ever to capture you," Zedd whispered, "It looks as if he's sending his more trusted men after you, fortunately for us."

The three took up their bows. "Target the lower ranks," Richard whispered, "we need the general alive."

The arrows flew from the bows and hit their targets. The garrison was instantly on guard. Each man reached for his sword. There were only about 12 left alive. Those were great odds for the seeker, mother confessor and a wizard of the first order.

Richard jumped out from behind the small hill they were hiding behind, Sword of Truth in hand. Kahlan and Zedd followed quickly behind him. Richard and Zedd killed several more of the soldiers. They needed several soldiers alive to make the ploy work properly.

Kahlan grabbed the first man she saw. In a few seconds, the man was under her control. "Command me confessor," he said, gazing up at her lovingly.

"Get the others together. Do not hurt them," Kahlan replied. She needed a second to catch her breath after having used her power. She stood back and let Richard and Zedd help the recently confessed man gather the remaining troops and the general.

Once the men were under control, Kahlan stepped in and placed her hand on the neck of the general. He struggled with her for a moment before the power magic of a confessor worked its way though his body. "Command me confessor," he said softly.

-----

"What are you planning to do with her?" Agramon asked as he and Rahl stood in the hallway just outside of Rahl's chambers.

"I'm not sure. Her father was killed by the resistance so she is likely to be on our side. Something tells me that she will be useful," Rahl replied.

"Far be it from me to doubt your judgment my Lord," Agramon said softly with a slight bow. "One more thing my lord, we have gotten word that the garrison you sent after that rumor of the seeker was successful. They have captured him and are brining him to you."

Rahl turned towards the door to his chambers. "I will believe that when I have the seeker standing before me in chains, Agramon. Until then, continue to send quads to every corner of the empire."

"Yes my Lord," Agramon replied as he turned and headed for Darken Rahl's journey book.


	3. Useful

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

I try to be good about keeping the characters in character but if you feel that I am slipping from that, please let me know. Enjoy!

-----

Layer after layer of leather strapped were tied around the young woman's wrists, arms, shoulders and legs. After she was bound, one of Rahl's men pushed her into a chair, "Wait here. And don't move or we'll kill you. It's that simple."

The young woman nodded as best she could despite the numerous bonds keeping most of her body from moving.

While waiting for Lord Rahl to arrive, the young woman took advantage of being within the walls of Rahl's personal chambers. The rooms were decorated from floor to ceiling with deep reds, golds and blacks. The stone walls that made up the palace were visible between the tapestries and statues that filled the empty spaces. There were a number of chairs but she doubted that many of them were used. The chambers didn't look as if they were used for anything other than sleeping and bedding the occasional reluctant woman.

The woman's eyes wandered to the bedchamber. The bed was neatly made, not by Rahl, she assumed. Very few personal items lay about of the tables and dressers. There were several books out on a table near the chair where she was sitting and there was a large bookshelf in the sitting room in addition to one in the bedroom. She had known that Rahl was a well-educated man but it seemed to her that what little spare time the ruler had was taken up with educating himself further.

She was still admiring Rahl's book collection when the door opened. A tall, dark haired man wearing floor-length red and gold robes stepped inside. His green eyes stared at her as if he was looking past her exterior gaze and into her mind. She had never heard of a mind reading spell but if there were one, she would believe it now.

"Good evening my dear," Rahl said with a soft smile. He touched the end of his sleeve as he stepped further into the room. "I apologize for the way my men have bound you but in these times, precautions must be taken," he said, motioning to the leather straps that bound her.

"There is no need to apologize my Lord," the young woman said softly, "I understand."

Rahl walked to the other side of the room where the girl was sitting. His movements were graceful and effortless. The robe he wore made it look as if he was floating across the ground. He had a presence unlike anyone she had ever seen. Even if she had wanted to, she couldn't have ignored him.

"Although I cannot release you completely, I could allow you to be slightly more comfortable if you would like," Rahl said softly, reaching for the dagger on his belt. The young woman watched as Rahl moved the dagger along her arm and towards her neck. A slight shiver of fear worked it's way though her.

Rahl saw the look of fear in her eyes and grinned. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, his voice a combination of soothing and taunting. He moved the dagger away from her face and knelt down in front of her. He cut the bonds holding her legs together. He then cut all but one of the straps confining her arms. Although her hands were still tied behind her back, she could now move and talk with a little more ease.

"Thank you Lord Rahl," she said softly, looking up at him. His handsome features stood out in the glow of the candles that lit the room. A corner of his mouth twitched in a slight smile before he turned around and went to one of his bookcases.

"Now that you are more comfortable, why don't you start with your name," he said, his voice rising in volume from what it had been before. His back was turned to her as he pulled a book from the shelf.

"Jeneva," she replied, sounding as confident as she could. She was a loyal subject of Lord Rahl but as one would expect, she was uneasy being in such close proximity to someone so powerful.

"Jeneva," he repeated. Her name sounded so beautiful coming from his mouth. His slight accent gave made it almost mellodical sound. "Tell me Jeneva, how old are you?"

"I am nineteen years of age Lord Rahl," she replied softly. She knew all too well that she was far to old to become a Mord-Sith. Although she knew what an honor it was to become one of Rahl's personal bodyguards, she was almost grateful for her age. Despite the honor, she knew the stories that were told about how the Mord-Sith became what they are.

Rahl turned toward her, an open book resting on one hand while the other flipped though the pages. "It is a shame you weren't brought to me 14 years ago. You would have made an excellent Mord-Sith."

He grinned once more. It was only then that Jeneva noticed the agiel attached to Lord Rahl's belt. She knew she could not become a Mord-Sith but that didn't mean she couldn't be tortured like one.

Rahl noticed Jeneva's eyes fall on the agiel. "Do not fret my dear, the agiel will only be used when you misbehave. You cannot be a Mord-Sith so I have no reason to torture you unless you give me one."

"If I may my Lord…" Jeneva began to ask, "What is it that you plan to do with me?"

Darken Rahl sighed, "At the moment, you are proving to be very un-useful. I could use you as a servant in my palace, train you in the art of the sword and send you after the seeker or I could use you for my own pleasures." His eyes looked up from the book and met hers.

"For now," he continued, "You will work on proving your loyalty."

He set the book down on the table in front of Jeneva as he walked back across the room towards her. Rahl gently placed his hand on the dagger at his waist. He pulled the blade out of it's sheath. He admired the craftsmanship of the blade in the flickering candle light for a moment before using it once again to cut the bonds that held Jeneva.

She stayed perfectly still for a moment, watching Rahl. He stepped back and offered her his hand. Her arms were sore from being tied behind her for so long. She tried to hide her discomfort as Rahl lifted her to her feet with one effortless pull on her arm.

Rahl looked her over, keeping the dagger near her flesh at all times. His eyes moved over her soft white skin and light brown wavy hair. He tried to conceal a smile before moving away from her and calling to one of his guards.

The door opened and two men stepped inside. "Take her to her room. Be sure that there is a guard posted outside of the door at all times. Trust is a luxury we cannot afford."

One of the guards nodded and stepped forward, grabbing Jeneva by the arm.

"Gently," Rahl hissed though his teeth. The guard, a little taken aback by Rahl's request loosened his grip.

"This one is not to be harmed. If she tries to run, however, kill her," Raul said with a softer tone as he turned to face Jeneva and the guards. "Jeneva," he added, "I trust you will behave yourself until our next encounter?"

Before she could reply, Rahl motioned to the guards to take her away. The door shut loudly behind them as they left.

Rahl sighed heavily. Training her like a Mord-Sith might make sure she stayed loyal to him. He knew that she was too old to become a slave to his will. However, for some reason, he was unable to dispose of her. He wanted to train her. His sadistic mind wandered to thoughts of pressing an agiel against her half naked body. The thought of the intimacy between trainer and captive made his body quiver.

"Yes," Rahl whispered to himself, "Maybe I will have a use for her."

-----

Ok, as always, please read and review. I love constructive criticism when it is appropriate.

It will be a few days before my next update. This weekend is going to be busy but I will hopefully get to more writing soon.


	4. Underestimated

Ok… seriously… did anyone else thing Rahl was TOTALLY OOC in the season finale? Really pissed me off…

Anyway, this story will continue to take place shortly after "Bloodline."

-----

Kahlan and Zedd watched from a short distance away. The Commander and several of his confessed troops walked along the main road towards the People's Palace. Richard walked behind the general, his arms and upper body bound tightly. In order to convince Rahl that the seeker truly had been captured, the general would have to bind him as tightly as he would any other prisoner.

As they neared the People' Palace, Richard began to struggle. The general caught on to the ploy and returned Richard's struggling with jerks on the chains that bound him. Richard stopped his struggling to look at the scene in front of him. The palace rested on the side of a cliff. It was surrounded on all sides by trees. There was only one opening that Richard could see. Within this opening, there we upwards of thirty guards. Several of the people standing at the entrance to the palace appeared to be Mord-Sith, Rahl's personal bodyguards. Although Richard's experience as the prisoner of Denna, a Mord-Sith, had taught him to handle his pain, Richard didn't like the idea of being reminded of that lesson.

The palace appeared larger and larger as they got closer. New spires and pinnacles appeared on every side. Richard was too caught up in the glorious palace to notice the crowd at the gates part. Four people stepped to the front of the row of guards. Two additional Mord-Sith, Rahl's head general, Agramon, and Lord Darken Rahl himself.

Rahl watched as the small garrison stepped onto the grounds of the palace.

"Welcome. I see that the rumors are true. You have indeed captured the seeker. Now, do you expect me to believe that you have done this without Kahlin's power of confession?" Rahl said with a grin.

Richard's mouth fell slightly open. Rahl had figured them out before they had even gotten to the palace. Apparently he had underestimated Darken Rahl's intelligence. Richard's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution to his predicament.

"Kill the garrison. Agramon, take the seeker to the dungeon," Rahl ordered as he turned and headed back into his palace.

Richard watched as Rahl disappeared into the castle along with two of the Mord-Sith. He struggled to get free as the guards slaughtered all the men in the garrison, even the few who had not been confessed. Agramon had taken the chains that bound Richard. Although he was much older than most of the men Rahl kept in his employment, he was deceptively strong.

After struggling for a short while, Richard tried to attack Agramon in order to free himself. With his hands bound behind his back, the best he could do was to use his legs. Agramon saw him coming. With one quick hand to the back of the neck, Richard was on the ground, passed out.

-----

Richard opened his eyes slowly. There was not much more than a few dim candles so it took little time for his tired eyes to adjust. It quickly became painfully clear where he was. The dungeon was obviously under ground. Water leaked from cracks in the mortar. It was not enough to drink but Richard tried nonetheless. He had no idea how long he had been passed out but he knew how hungry and thirsty he was. The cold, wet rock felt good on his tongue but did little to quench his thirst.

After attempting to make himself more comfortable, Richard turned around to take a look at his surroundings. The rock was bare except for a few patches of moss. The few dim candles were in the hallway rather than his cell. His hands were still bound but they were now more loosely bound and in front of him. The chains were attached to a large rock in the center of the room. This was quite discouraging. He would have to get a guard to come close enough before he could try anything. Richard sighed as he leaned against the damp wall and began to think about how he was going to get out of his current situation.

-----

Kahlin watched as an older man, obviously one of Rahl's highest ranking men, took hold of the chains that bound Richard. She had worried about this for days. She knew it was too risky to send the seeker into Rahl's grasp as a prisoner. She knew Rahl was a smart man. She should have known that Rahl would figure out what they were trying to do.

"What now?" Kahlin said softly, staring blankly at the slaughter going on in front of them.

Zedd signed heavily, "I don't know. We're going to have to let Richard get himself out of this one alone. Maybe he'll get lucky."

"There isn't anything we can do to help?" Kahlin pleaded, turning to Zedd, trying desperately to hold back a tear.

Zedd sat down on the grass, "Not that I know of. I'm sorry Kahlin. Even a confessor and a Wizard of the First Order are powerless against Rahl's defenses. "

-----

"What would you like us to do with the seeker, my Lord," Cara, one of Rahl's Mord-Siths, asked.

"I will deal with him myself. For now, leave him in the dungeon. I want him starving and dehydrated before I begin training him," Rahl replied as he stared out a nearby window.

"You are going to train him yourself my Lord?"

Rahl turned to face Cara, "I want it to be painfully clear who won this battle. Now, go tell your sisters of the agiel to continue working with the new girls. We are not making enough progress with the older ones."

"Yes my Lord," Cara replied, "But that young one. She is doing very well. She should be ready within a few days for the second breaking."

"Yes," Rahl replied as he turned back towards the window, "Yes she will. Has her mother finished training?"

"Not yet my Lord. We are very close though. The mother should be ready in time. Have you decided who will be killing her?" Cara said, a bit of anticipation and excitement in her voice, hoping Rahl had chosen her.

"I will take care of the mother myself," Rahl said, touching the hilt of the dagger on his belt.

"Yes my Lord," Cara said sofly, a bit disappointed, "We will have her ready for you."

Cara left the room disappointed but excited. It was always enjoyable to watch Rahl torture someone. He rarely took such a hands on approach to training the new Mord-Siths. Something about this girl had apparently captured his attention.

But there was also the young woman, Jeneva. Cara had never seen Rahl take such an interest in someone so useless unless he was planning to bed her. As far as she could tell, however, Rahl hadn't laid a hand on this woman. Cara entered the dungeon where the girls were kept as she muttered to herself, "What is he planning?"

-----

Ok, there you go. I hope I will be able to keep writing this. I'm still so furious about the season finale. I really wish I could un-watch it. *sigh* Oh well.

Let me know what you think! Your reviews keep me going with this project!


	5. Temptation is Not the Same as Giving In

Well, the season finale pissed me off a little less the second time I watched it. I still think Rahl was OOC but whatever. He's not my character so I don't get to decide that.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!

-----

Jeneva had completely lost track of time. She had been in the small cell for days now. She wasn't sure how Rahl intended to have her prove her loyalty when she was locked up in this cell. She got out of the small bed that had been provided after her first few nights in the cell. It had no sheets or other comforts but it was better than the damp rock floor.

Pacing had become the only activity to keep her from going insane. Jeneva had only crossed the cell twice when she heard someone walking down the corridor leading to her cell, keys in hand. Someone placed the key in the lock and opened the door. Two guards stepped in. One grabbed her and bound her hands; the other held the door and followed as she was lead out into the hallway.

Jeneva walked silently as she was led down one dark hallway after another. Eventually, they reached a small staircase. At the top of the stairs, Jeneva could see a bit of light coming from a window. At least she knew for the first time in days that it was light outside. The stairway opened into a small, circular room. In the center, there was a metal grate leading to a dark pit of unknown depth. Above the grate, there was a set of shackles attached to the ceiling by a chain. The chain continued down to a crank. It didn't take Jeneva long to figure out what the shackles and chain were for. This room was a torture chamber, probably used to train the Mord-Sith.

Lost in deep thought about what was going to happen to her, Jeneva didn't notice the recognizable shadow of Lord Darken Rahl enter the chamber from a corridor on the opposite side of the small room. Jeneva's eyes made contact with Rahl's as he walked over to the guard who was not busy chaining Jeneva up to the shackles.

The guard whispered something to Rahl. Rahl nodded and then motioned for the guards to leave. The second guard finished his work with the shackles and followed the first back down the stairs. Jeneva's hands were chained together above her head. The clothing she had been given was little more than rags covering the more intimate parts of her body. With her hands above her head, these features were exaggerated and further exposed.

From her hanging position, Jeneva was able to see the side of the room where the staircase had ended. There was a small wooden table. Upon it sat a number of lit candles, providing most of the room's lighting. There was also a dagger, similar to the one Rahl carried. Far more disconcerting that the dagger, however, was the presence of an instrument of torture that Jeneva had only seen a few times in her life. The agiel.

She knew the stories of the device. She knew the pain it caused the victim and whoever wields it. She had been hoping for days that Rahl would not try to turn her into a Mord-Sith. Jeneva though that Rahl had decided it wasn't possible to break her properly. A shiver ran up her spine as her eyes moved from the agiel to Lord Rahl. He turned away from the window to face her, removing his outer robe in the process.

"Good morning, Jeneva," he said softly, his voice a mixture of reassurance and deception. "I apologize for not getting to you sooner. I had an unexpected visit from the seeker and a few of his confessed friends."

Jeneva watched him carefully, listening to every word and trying to figure out any hidden meaning behind it. She didn't dare respond until she was specifically asked.

"You may recall our conversation last week," Rahl continued, "I have no intention of turning you into a Mord-Sith. It just wouldn't be worth my time or yours. However, that doesn't mean I can't use you for other purposes." He smirked at her before turning around and facing the small table. He reached down and picked up the agiel. Jeneva watched as every muscle in his arm tensed with pain. After a few seconds, Rahl's muscular body relaxed some and he turned back toward Jeneva, taking a few steps towards her.

"Although I can't turn you into a Mord-Sith, I can use the agiel to teach you how to use pain to your advantage. Does that interest you at all?"

Jeneva paused. She wasn't sure what to say. She had no idea if he wanted the truth or a lie. On top of that, she wasn't sure what the truth even was. She loved the attention she was getting from this ruler of the three lands but was not sure she was getting the kind of attention she really wanted.

After a few seconds had passed, Rahl grew impatient. His hand shot forward, the agiel pressing into Jeneva's side. Her entire body grew rigid with pain. She opened her mouth to scream but the pain was too great. She wasn't able to make her lungs work properly.

"Answer me!" Rahl said angrily.

"Yes my lord," Jeneva quickly replied, gasping for breath, as Rahl removed the agiel form her side, "I want you to teach me how to control my pain."

Rahl's anger quickly turned to intrigue. A soft smile formed on his face as he moved closer to Jeneva. He sopped about a foot in front of her and looked her over. His eyes traveled up and down her young body, looking her over for imperfections and flaws. Aside from the small area of red skin where the agiel had touched her, Jeneva's body was in perfect condition. Rahl reached out and touched her chest just below her collarbone. He paused there for a moment before quickly retracting his hand.

"You are quite tempting," He said as he took a step back and looked her in the eye.

Something about Rahl's deep green eyes made Jeneva forget her morals and inhibitions. At that moment, she would have let Rahl do anything to her. "You are free to give in to temptation, my lord, I will not resist."

Rahl looked down at the grate in the floor for a moment and let out a short laugh. Although he had mulled over the idea of taking Jeneva for himself, he knew he would never give into temptation that easily. He looked down at the agiel in his hand. The painful sensation had becoming numbing. He looked back up to Jeneva. In one swift movement, he pressed the agiel to the side of her head and moved his body to within an inch of hers.

"I was not asking for your permission," Rahl said in a raised voice. The agiel itself screamed as it was pressed against human flesh. Rahl waited for the pain to sink in and then tossed the agiel aside. He gently caressed the side of Jeneva's face with his hand. Jeneva let her mouth fall open and her eyes close as Rahl's soft touch moved along her cheekbone.

Rahl sighed and stepped back. "Temptation means that I have not given in," He said softly as Jeneva opened her eyes and watched him. "I still do not believe that I can trust you Jeneva. Passion and lust will have to wait for another time."

Jeneva watched in a stunned silence as Rahl left the room. Moments later, the guards returned to take her back to her cell. Something in her had changed. Her body ached to serve Lord Rahl in every way she could fathom. Her mind drifted back to the soft caress of his hand and the motion of his breath on her face and neck. For now, however, she would have to wait for her lord's trust before she could get closer to him.

-----

"He's not moving. I'm checking it out. Rahl wants this one alive."

The guard opened the cell door and stepped into the damp cell that contained the seeker. Richard didn't move. He made sure his breathing was slow and steady, despite his racing heart. The guard moved forward and nudged Richard with his foot.

"Get up seeker!" the guard yelled. He kicked Richard in the ribs. The pain was intense but Richard didn't move. His breathing stayed shallow and soft. Richard waited patiently, listening as the guard knelt down. The heavy armor Rahl's guards always wore made it easy to hear the guards movements. Richard was able to keep his eyes closed and still know exactly what was going on around him. Years in the woods of Heartland had thought him the skill and the clunky metal armor simply made it easier.

The guard reached towards Richard to see if he was still alive. Before the guard's hand could reach Richard, he sprang up and grabbed the man around the throat. The quick reaction of the guard was to grasp the hand that was restricting his breathing and crushing his windpipe in a failed attempt to get Richard to release him. Richard had predicted this movement and was able to get hold of the guard's sword, which hug at his belt, while the guard was distracted.

Richard slowly released his grasp on the guard's throat. He held the tip of the sword in its place. "Take me to Darken Rahl or I will use this sword to make you fit inside a wine cask."

-----

Did they have wine casks? I think so… It's just a barrel… Whatever. You all get the picture.

Sorry this chapter took a while. I've known exactly what was going to happen for a week but never found the time to sit down and write it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought!


	6. Seven

Sorry for the delay for an update. Life tends to get in the way of hobbies.

I am aware that I spelled Egramont wrong in so many ways. There are a number of minor mistakes in pervious chapters that need to be fixed but I think I am going to wait until I finish the story and then fix the mistakes all at once. It takes longer if I do them one at a time.

Anyway, for the first time since I started, I kind of have an idea where the story is going. You all should expect about 3 or 4 more chapters. Please continue to let me know what you think!

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The guard knew perfectly well that the seeker would not be able to get anywhere near Rahl without running into other guards and two-dozen Mord-Sith. Conflicted between taking the seeker to Rahl and risk getting killed and telling the seeker the truth and risk getting killed, the guard walked slowly down the passageways of the People's Palace towards the area where Rahl spent a good portion of his time, pondering what to do.

"How well is he guarded?" Richard said, pricking the guard slightly with the tip of his sword as a reminder to answer the question truthfully.

The guard stopped and turned to Richard. He had run out of options; he would have to tell the truth. "You won't get to Rahl alive," the guard whispered, trying not to alert any of the other guards in the palace, "The palace is crawling with guards. As soon as we even get close to Rahl's quarters we will start running into Mord-Sith. Even if you COULD kill them all, the noise would alert every guard in the palace."

Richard sighed. He knew perfectly well that the guard was telling the truth. He had known from the start that he would not be able to get close to Rahl from inside the tyrant's own palace. Keeping a close eye on the guard and a blade at his neck, Richard ran through his options, trying to decide which was least likely to get him killed but would still get as much accomplished as possible.

"Alright," Richard said softly, moving the blade a few inches away from the guard's throat, "Rahl recently captured eight young girls and their families. Take me to them."

The guard thought for a minute, "I am not stationed in that part of the palace. I know where the Mord-Sith dungeon is but I don't know how to get in."

Richard quickly moved the blade back to the man's throat, allowing the blade to make a slight indentation in the man's skin. The guard swallowed hard and looked at the blade with worried eyes. "You will find a way in there or I will kill you and find it myself."

The guard nodded quickly and pointed down the hallway in the direction they had just come, "It's near where you were being held."

Richard once again followed the guard towards the dungeons, his mind racing to plan his exit strategy.

-----

Kahlan and Zedd had been camped a short distance from the People's Palace for days, trying to think of a plan to help Richard. Every option they could think of would result in the death of all three of them. They would need to get into the People's Palace undetected. However, there was only one opening in the magical barrier and it was too heavily guarded. Zedd was didn't think his magic would be able to combat the barrier; however, he was getting to the point where he was willing to try.

"If I could get you inside the magical barrier, what would your plan be from there?" Zedd asked Kahlan as they sat around a dying fire.

"Confess as many guards as I could as fast as I could. I would need them to help me stop the others and direct me to where Richard is being held. At this point, I don't think we have the luxury of caring about the girls Rahl captured. He's already had them for a long enough time to do some serious damage. We just need to get Richard and get out."

Zedd sighed heavily, "Alright. Let's give it a shot."

-----

Rahl knew that the seeker's capture had been no accident. He knew that Richard Cypher was planning something. It was only a matter of time until the seeker was re-captured by guards patrolling the palace. Security had been heightened in all areas. Rahl suspected that the wizard and mother confessor would also be attempting to aid the seeker. Although he knew it wasn't possible for anyone to pass though the magical barrier surrounding the People's Palace, he had underestimated the seeker's friends enough to know better.

"Lord Rahl," Egramont called from the end of a long hallway, "The seeker has escaped. Guards are searching the palace."

"Send them to the Mord-Sith dungeons. Send a few more to Jeneva's room as well," Rahl said quickly as he headed towards the dungeons. 'I should have known that was his motive,' Rahl thought to himself as he hurried down the hallway.

Egramont headed the other direction to alert the Palace's guards who where not already headed in the right direction. With a sigh, Egramont sent the first quad he came across to Jeneva's room. Although he thought it useless to protect her, Egramont did as he was asked. He knew better than to defy Lord Rahl, even if it was for Rahl's own good.

-----

Rahl arrived at the dungeons to find them empty. All of the girls had vanished along with their families who had been kept in a nearby dungeon. Rahl clenched his fists with rage. His blank stare was fixated on the broken locks of the cells.

"Find them. Or serve your own children as their replacements," Rahl hissed though his teeth, fighting hard to stop himself from killing them all right there.

The guards quickly left the area, fearing for their lives and the lives of their own young children. As more guards arrived at the dungeons, they were ordered by their commanding officers to continue their search of the palace. Unfortunately for Rahl, the seeker was a good distance away from the dungeon and all of the guards had been ordered to run to it. At this point, the seeker had a head start.

Soon after the last of the guards had been sent to search the place and its surroundings, general Egramont arrived at the dungeon. "The guards are surrounding the palace but I don't think we have the man power to stop the seeker. I am sorry my lord but we might not be able to get them back."

Rahl was standing in one of the cells, examining the shackles that had held Annie, the youngest of the girls. It was possible that she had been through enough training to come back to him of her own will. Her mother had already been killed. Rahl himself had tortured the woman to inches of her life. Annie had watched with curious interest. There was no mark of pain or suffering on Annie's face as her mother took her last breath.

With a sign, Rahl turned to Egramont, "There may be hope for the young one. In the meantime, did the seeker get to Jeneva as well?"

"No my lord," Egramont replied, a touch of annoyance in his voice, "She is still in her room."

Rahl nodded, "Have her sent to my chambers this evening."

Without another word or glance, Rahl left. He had resigned himself to the fact that he had lost the other 6 girls. Hopefully, he would get Annie back and at the very least, he thought to himself, he had Jeneva.

-----

After several hours of backbreaking magic, a small hole was torn in the barrier. It lasted barely long enough to Kahlan to get through. She came within inches of setting off the magical alarms that surrounded the palace.

Kahlan turned back to Zedd briefly before she headed for the nearest entrance of the palace. Zedd signed heavily and slumped to the ground. He knew he would only have a few minutes to rest before he would need to make himself scarce. He could hear commotion in the palace and knew that something unusual was happening. If Richard had escaped, guards would soon be sent to secure the perimeter of the palace. Despite having brought down the barrier, if only for a short period of time, Zedd couldn't help but wonder if he had just sent Kahlan to her death for a pointless cause. For all they knew, Richard was already dead and the girls were beyond hope.

-----

Richard lead the terrified girls an their families though the passages, expertly retracing the steps the guard had showed him. At this point, Richard would have no choice but to fight his way out. The magical barrier surrounding the palace worked in both directions. It kept intruders out and prisoners in.

Rounding corner after corner, Richard finally came to an area of the palace that he recognized as being near the entrance. After years of work in the woods, Richard was very capable of memorizing his surroundings. He had seen these hallways on his way into the palace, despite being bound and gagged.

The group didn't get far when Richard saw a shadow move in the hall in front of them. Rising his sword, Richard waited for the figure to show itself. Just as Richard was about to swing his sword down on the person around the corner, Kahlan stepped out from behind the wall.

"Kahlan?!" Richard said softly, trying to whisper, "What are you doing here? How did you get through the barrier?"

A small army of guards began to make their way down the hallway after Kahlan, swords raised. Richard quickly stepped around Kahlan and readied himself. Kahlan turned to them, "Stop. He is a friend."

Richard put his sword down, realizing that the soldiers had been confessed and turned back to Kahlan as she answered his question.

"Zedd was able to create a rip in the barrier just large enough for me to slip though. I confessed as many guards as I could but I can't be sure I didn't make any noise. We need to get going.

Richard nodded, "Rahl knows I escaped. He probably knows that I released his prisoners as well."

Kahlan looked briefly at the group of people behind Richard. Without another word, she turned and followed Richard back down the hallway from which she had just come. If they hurried, they might have a chance.

By the time they reached the entrance of the palace, a number of guards had been sent to help protect it. Richard, Kahlan and the small army of confessed D'Haran guards began to fight their way through the garrison of men. It only took a short while and only one of the confessed guards was killed. Richard knew that Rahl had been forced to stretch his security very thin in order to cover all the entrances of the palace. Freedom was only a few dozen feet away now.

Richard, Kahlan, the confessed guards and the group of prisoners ran to the opening in the barrier. When they made it to the forest, they stopped to catch their breath. It was only then that Richard was able to see if everyone had made it out.

"four, five, six, sev…." Richard muttered under his breath," Why are there only seven girls. Weren't eight captured?"

One of the girl's fathers nodded, "Yes. Eight girls were captured. One of them was much older than the others. Rahl said that he would not be able to use her as a Mord-Sith. We haven't seen her since the day we were brought to the palace. Her parents were taken from the dungeon a few days after we arrived. We haven't seen them either."

Richard and Kahlan exchanged a brief glance. They both knew that the odds were against the girl. Neither could imagine a reason for Rahl to let the girl go. It would be easier to simply get rid of her and her family.

-----

A loud knock on Jeneva's door woke her up from a brief nap. She had very little else to do in her room and she was still trying to recover from the most recent torture session with Rahl. Although she had learned to enjoy the pain while she was tied up and in the control of Lord Rahl, when she was alone in her bed, the lingering pain flowed through her entire body.

The door opened without a second knock or a response from Jeneva. Egramont stepped in, "Rahl has asked you to join him in his chambers this evening. I will return for you shortly."

Jeneva quickly sat up in bed, "Yes general Egramont. I will be ready."

-----

[end chapter]

As some of you have noticed, this story is focusing almost as much on Richard and friends as it is on Rahl. That was not the original intent but I really wanted it to play out like an episode of the show. For that reason, the seeker is still a main character and, in general, he gets to win. Because that's what happens in a fantasy series. The protagonist always wins and the antagonist is evil for no reason other than someone has to be.

Anyway, read and review!


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